Dental Sleep Medicine

Dental Sleep Medicine in Jersey City, NJ

Patients may be surprised to learn that Dr. Vahid can help them successfully manage sleep-related breathing disorders.

Sleep apnea suffers experience a potentially life-threatening medical disorder that causes their bodies to temporarily stop breathing during sleep. Muscles in the tongue and throat relax to the point that they may fall back and obstruct patients’ airways as they sleep. This reduces the amount of oxygen that is delivered to vital organs including the heart and brain, causing myriad health problems.

Patients may have been made aware they have sleep apnea by a partner who has observed them snoring loudly and exhibiting intermittent breathing. When a patient stops breathing, your body essentially wakes up, interrupting the important circadian rhythm.

When this happens hundreds of time per night, patients wake up tired, cranky and groggy and unable to enjoy life. Patients may experience: memory loss, morning headaches, irritability, depression, decreased sex drive and impaired concentration. If untreated, sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, stroke, heart attack and sudden death while asleep.Sleep apnea patients often fit a profile: they may be older, obese or have thick necks. However, both men and women of any age or body type can have sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the problem progressively worsens with age and weight gain.

While a physician must diagnose sleep disorders, Dr. Vahid can provide solutions for these difficult problems and is well trained in mitigating sleep disorders.

Solutions include custom designing dental appliances that are worn during sleep that fits like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. These devices prevent the airway from collapsing by either holding the tongue or supporting the jaw in a forward position. Dr. Vahid can assist patients in the selection, manufacture and fitting of an oral appliance and provide long-term follow-up care.